Bottled Water and the Environment

(ARA) - Drinking bottled water is part of a healthy lifestyle for millions of Americans. But, like so many things we consume, bottled water has an impact on the environment. So how can we still enjoy the benefits of drinking water from a pure source, while reducing our environmental impact or "footprint?"

Eco-consciousness starts with becoming an informed consumer and understanding the very processes and improvements being made in the production of goods we use day-to-day.

Consumers can support the movement towards “greener” bottled water by choosing brands, like Evian Natural Spring Water, that pursue sustainable development and conservation. Here is a glossary of terms that savvy bottled water shoppers should know when purchasing bottled water and examples of how new initiatives are currently being implemented:

* rPET Containing Bottles – Bottles made in whole or in part from post-consumer recycled material. Evian will use 25 percent post-consumer recycled polyethylene terepthalate (PET - Recycling code No. 1) in its most popular bottle sizes.

* Compactable Bottles – Bottles designed to compact more easily and thus facilitate deposit into recycling bins after use. Evian was the first bottled water to implement this practice and continues to use this design in its 1.5 liter bottle.

* Smart Transport – The use of transportation systems, like railways and barges, which produce far less pollution than other transportation alternatives, such as trucks. Evian, for example, ships 80 percent of its bottles from its plant in Evian, France by rail to European ports, then ships to North America and throughout the world using maritime containers, one of the most fuel-efficient means of transportation.

* Water Protection – Protecting the source of bottled water, and large bodies of water worldwide. For decades, Evian has taken measures to protect its own unique resource in Évian-les-Bains, France. With the creation of the Evian Water Protection Institute, Evian aims to foster knowledge on the sustainable management of water resources and help the world’s populations preserve their wetlands. Working in conjunction with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Evian Water Protection Institute’s first three projects will focus on the La Plata basin in Argentina, Nepal’s Jagadishpur Reservoir in the heart of the Himalayas and Bung Khong Long Lake in Thailand.

To learn more about bottled water and the environment, visit www.evian.com.